Lunchbox's Tale
by slyolddog
Summary: Lunchbox is a very special courier with Disassociative Identity Disorder. A trip with Happy Trails turns his world upside down. Written for a friend (ahbonjour) as a special request. M!Courier/Joshua Graham, onesided romance


When Lunchbox first got the gig of being a courier, he hadn't expected trouble. He definitely hadn't expected to get shot in the head.

And now, as he was watching his Happy Trails comrades fall around him, he didn't know what to do.

He only had one option.

"McGee, help me!"

He hated calling on McGee when he was in trouble, but he knew that was the only way out of all this.

"Come on, McGee, I'm gonna die…." He felt stupid yelling at himself, but he had no choice.

He screwed his eyes shut and cowered behind a rock. After a couple of minutes he leapt out from behind the rock and picked off the offending White Legs, one by one.

He didn't stop running until he had reached the other side of the bridge. There, he ran into a friendly tribal named Follows-Chalk.

Lunchbox took an instant liking to the little tribal, and followed him to "Joshua." He wasn't entirely sure who Joshua was, but he had a funny feeling he was linked back to Caesar and "The Burned Man."

With little incident, The two reached the cave where Joshua was busily assembling a countless number of pistols.

Lunchbox listened attentively to the older man, struck by the knowledge and pain that lurked behind the bandages that covered his body from head to toe.

_Dammit, Lunchbox, don't start this again. Remember what happened with Arcade?_ The young man shuddered at the memory. He had a knack for coming across too strong, and often scared others away. Having two personalities didn't help either. McGee had come out one night when he was alone with Arcade, and, well…. Arcade didn't appreciate his intentions, despite his attraction to the same gender.

"So will you help?" Joshua's voice snapped Lunchbox back to reality.

"Yes… yes of course." He stammered, cluelessly. He hadn't been listening at all.

Fortunately, Follows-Chalk had been, and they set off to get the supplies Joshua had asked for.

"Hey Chalk…. What do you know about Joshua?" Lunchbox started a conversation with the tribal after they had dealt with a few geckos.

"Joshua was once a fearsome warrior. But one day he returned to us covered in the bandage and broken inside and out. He was different. Never the same. He devotes his time to helping us; keeping us safe from the White Legs."

Lunchbox pondered Chalk's words in silence as they headed back to the camp. He wasn't sure what made him sit down beside Joshua, who was reading a book by the campfire.

"I can't help but notice something different about you, Lunchbox." Joshua closed his book and set it down between them.

"I'm not like….. normal people, I guess." Lunchbox shrugged. He didn't like talking about himself much. He was much better at asking questions instead.

"Can I help?" The man seemed genuinely concerned about the courier.

"Help? No. Not even the highly skilled medical doctors could help me. You see…. There are two of me…. Inside here." He pointed to his brain. "McGee protects me, keeps me safe. McGee is also terrifying to me."

Joshua may have frowned against the setting sun, but it was difficult for Lunchbox to make out his expression with the sunlight and bandages.

"I may not be medically experienced, but I do know of one of the Sorrows who is very good with mental trauma and other problems."

"I may be afraid of McGee, but I don't hate him. He is a part of me. I cannot live without him." Lunchbox felt a flare of anger inside himself, and only just managed to hold McGee back.

"I'm sorry." The Burned Man reached over and touched Lunchbox's shoulder.

The contact stunned Lunchbox, and he went to shuffle closer to the other man.

"Whoa." Joshua removed his hand and used it to obstruct Lunchbox. "I'm sorry if I misled you."

Lunchbox's cheeks burned crimson, though fortunately darkness masked his humiliation. Without a word, he got up and ran away as fast as he could.

After finding a bed for the night, Joshua roamed idly around until he eventually ran into Daniel.

Literally, ran into Daniel…. and knocked the man clear off his feet.

"I am so sorry." Lunchbox apologized profusely, and helped Daniel to his feet.

"You must be the courier I've heard about. Are you here to help me evacuate the Sorrows?"

Still feeling humiliated from the night before, Lunchbox nodded and listened to Daniel's plans.

After rescuing the remaining Sorrows, Lunchbox was on his way to meet Daniel when he was struck by a band of angry White Legs. Crippled and with no supplies, Lunchbox was scared. Scared and alone. This isn't what he'd wanted. Suddenly, he longed for the comfort of the dusty Mojave. At least there he had friends. People to watch his back. Now, he was all alone.

McGee had managed to fend off the vicious tribals but was gone as quickly as he'd come. Lunchbox was alone again, and now as the rain came down, cool against his hot skin, he was ready to give up.

A voice startled him. It was getting dark, but he could clearly see the white bandages of Joshua Graham.

"Lunchbox! Lunchbox, are you okay.?" The man towered above him. "Shit, your leg is pretty bad." He pulled out a doctor's bag and patched up the wound as best he could.

"Come on. We've got to get you out of here." Joshua threw Lunchbox's arm over his shoulder and the two walked as quickly as they could.

"Daniel's almost finished evacuating the Sorrows. You need to get out of here too, before this place goes to all hell."

"Come with me." Lunchbox blurted, shocked at himself.

"I can't, Lunchbox. I have to help get everyone out….."

"I know what you want, and I can't give it to you. I'm sorry, but I have a duty to these people."

Daniel came running up towards them. "You have to go, Lunchbox. There's no time. Thank you for helping my people." He said sincerely, before pushing him through the cave.

Lunchbox wandered back to the Mojave, confused and disheartened. He could not return to Zion, nor would he ever see Joshua again.

All Lunchbox ever wanted was to be accepted. Maybe even be loved by someone. He had hoped that Joshua would change something for him. But once again, he was alone in the Mojave desert.

Maybe it just wasn't his time.

Either way, nothing could take the memories away from him.


End file.
